Volleyball Falls in NEC Semifinals

The final set of the 2011 volleyball season went to extra points, but the #3 Blue Devils fell to #2 Sacred Heart by a score of 3-1 on Saturday evening.  The Blue Devils fall to 20-11 on the season with the semifinal loss.  Sacred Heart advances to play #1 Long Island in the Northeast Conference Championship match tomorrow afternoon.

The Blue Devils dropped the first two sets by scores of 25-19 and 25-22 before rebounding for a 25-17 victory in the third set.  Central pushed the Pioneers to the brink in the fourth set, but a 4-0 run erased the Blue Devils' 24-22 lead and ended the match, 26-24.

Central was led by Second Team All-NEC selection Emily Cochran who delivered 18 kills in the match.  She also contributed 13 digs, four blocks, an ace and an assist on the day.

Junior Blaike King was the only other Blue Devil to post double-digit kills in the match she recorded 11, to go along with four digs, two blocks and two aces.  Senior Sara DeLacey, also an All-NEC selection, posted a team-high .467 hitting percentage in her final collegiate match.  She connected on eight of 15 attacks and contributed to five blocks.

Freshman Emma Le Maitre posted a strong defensive game.  She posted a match-high eight blocks.  Classmate Brittany Schumacher recorded 13 digs from her libero position, tying Cochran for a team-high.

Senior Danielle Gasser recorded 38 assist in the match.  That raises her season total to 1,249, which stands at the fourth highest single-season total in program history.

Long Island and Sacred Heart will play for the Northeast Conference Championship Sunday at 3 p.m.